Jon Bon Jovi’s career spans 36 years and has seen multiple hits. This year Bon Jovi released their new album, 20/20, on October 2. The title of the album gives a nod to the craziness of this year but also hints at the phrase “hindsight is 20/20” or having perfect vision because of the growth that Jon and his bandmates have experienced. Jon is covered in USA Today where he discusses the social reckoning of 2020, the presidency and gun violence. He says here are no new milestones he would like to reach, instead he just wishes to enjoy the gift that G-d has given him to be able to live out his childhood “job” of being a musician. Here are a few excerpts:
Question: You’ve had the hits, the sales, the awards – what motivates you now?
Jon Bon Jovi: I’m not driven by numbers; I really don’t think I ever was. When you’re just starting out, they’re so beyond your reach. The only thing I care about in my career at this point is when I write a song. Writing is the closest thing that anyone will ever feel to immortality, it’ll outlive you. Writing it is all I can really give a darn about. Recording it is second, because you want to see if it was worth it. And touring is third. It’s last, because that is wonderful and all, but I don’t live to tour. I don’t live to hear people applaud. That’s a byproduct of writing the song.
Q: So there are no more milestones you’d like to check off?
Bon Jovi: Honestly, at this point, what I’m hoping to do is to first and foremost enjoy it, and then keep integrity. I don’t ever want to be on the “Where are they now?” pile. I jokingly say, no one loved the Fat Elvis. I mean that with the utmost respect, but you got to know when it’s time to go. I can still write a song and that’s what matters to me most. The rest of it, I’ll do it as I see fit.
Q: Why do you think the band has had such longevity?
Bon Jovi: We’ve connected to generations of people, and I’ve never tried to be anything more than what I was. I’ve evolved, I’ve grown up in public and I’m certainly not trying to write the same song we did in 1984, ’85, ’86. It was my desire to progress and evolve into who I am today, and so I couldn’t rewrite “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Blaze of Glory” or “Always.” The band’s legacy is cemented. These songs mean a lot to a lot of people and I am grateful for that. It’s a gift that God gives you the job you wanted when you were a kid, and that I get to do it still. I’m the luckiest man in the world.
Bon Jovi, along with Springsteen and several other 80s rockers have songs on my “Songs in the Key of My Life” soundtrack that I am building on Spotify. The man and the band are iconic. I was really excited when he worked with Prince Harry and the Invictus Games Choir on the remake of the song Unbroken. It was just great to see him out and about.
What really shocked me was seeing his gray hair for the first time back in March. In articles about Jon they usually use a picture from a decade or two ago and you forget that he is damn near sixty. I am definitely looking forward to hearing the new album. The songs will focus on the political and social issues of the day and I am sure they will be uplifting. Everything is so heavy lately and a bit of levity may do me some good.
I was sad to read that the guitarist from the band, Richie Sambora, had to stop playing because of his ongoing struggle with substance abuse. With that being said, I know Jon’s style may have evolved over the decades but I have a feeling the music will still be nostalgic for us 80s babies who grew up on the band. Like Springsteen, I am really enjoying this more Zen Jon. It makes aging something to look forward to. I know that as I get older, life and I will mellow out over time.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmb3BjaYJxe8mopZian6Osq7vVopairKOUrqCzyJ%2BrmKyYlsGgs86dlqChpprAoMXOrpatoJWUt7CuvrKmrpenlru1scOYmKyXkZS4qrCO